Review by Booklist Review
An eager, hardworking kid who loves playing hockey, Taylor joins a team with high hopes of becoming the best player, but he's awed by his teammate Wayne, already known as the Great One. While shooting pucks at his garage door, Taylor feels invincible. In games, though, he makes rookie mistakes like watching the action instead of thinking ahead, and taking a shot when he ought to pass. With encouragement from Wayne and their coach, he begins to think like a team player and enjoys success in the end. Energetic and full of action, the illustrations clearly express Taylor's shifting emotions. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky contributes a brief forward, and young fans who are familiar with the Great One will enjoy spotting his shock of yellow hair and 99 jersey in the pictures, but this is Taylor's story. While the message is one that kids on sports teams hear repeatedly, this fictional narrative delivers it in a more enjoyable way. An easy choice for libraries serving hockey players and fans.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
Taylor is psyched to have made the same youth ice hockey team as the "kid they are already calling the Great One." But being Wayne Gretzky's teammate is nerve-wracking, challenging Taylor's self-confidence. Coach Wally Gretzky's pep talk helps assure Taylor: "You don't have to be great at something to be great." Uneven illustrations reflect Taylor's development within this didactic, if well-meaning, story. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
